The value that WSR will have for HW sales is that it will get wii owners firing their wiis up when they have friends/family over again. After 2.5 years not so many people are dying to show their friends wii sports any more, but put WSR in their hands and casuals showing off their wii every chance they get could be in vogue again.

Mind you, even if I'm right I would suspect the HW increase to be so delayed as to be unrecognizable; it won't start till the holidays but might continue through all of 2010.

WSR comes at the right time.

Microsoft has people interested in getting off the couch and using their bodies. Only one problem -- Project Natal is probably still 12-18 months away from release.

However, Nintendo can get you doing it now. And WSR comes bundled with WM+ -- a device that gives you 1:1 control now -- something the other guys promise next year.

In other words, it is poised to steal someone else's hype.

That being said, the bump will be modest but will help the Wii get back closer to the sales levels of last year.

Mike from Morgantown

I think it's possible it may not have a huge effect on hardware sales but i also think it's possible that it helps get the Wii-hype rolling again and pushes a whole lot potential customers (there are still plenty of them) over the edge.

It will move hardware, it will be marketed as more accurate, more fun Wii that could convince people that want the wii to buy it faster. It surely will increase the demand, especially in Japan where Wii is a bit strugling.

The problem with marketing Motion Plus as far superior to the basic Wii controls is that it is essentially pointing out the shortcomings of what consumers have been happily buying in huge numbers for the past going on three years.

Until we start seeing more solid efforts that really demonstrate the advantages of M+ beyond WSR, I don't see how those who weren't impressed or didn't enjoy playing Wii Sports, are suddenly going to fall under a magical spell and start buying millions more consoles because of WSR.

We'll find out in a month. All I know at this point is that two games have been released that capitalize on M+ and I'm seeing more a small ripple rather than the big splash some were predicting. Some are saying we have to wait until WSR arrives to see the "real" debut of M+ (which I agree with), but if that's the only game that fully shows the advantages of the add on, why would this be a serious console mover?

Wii Sports resort is far improved over Wii sports, not only in the number but also quality of gameplay, I mean the sword fighting alone is reason to plunk down the cash, who hasn't thought it would be cool to have a sword fight with their friends

I don't know especially since you can get Wii Motion Plus with other games. It won't come anywhere near selling 45 million copies unless they turn it into a pack-in sometime. And seeing how this gen is probably going to be over before the Wii sells another 30 million copies, that's doubtful too.

who says this gen is over.....microsoft?  Consumers decide when this gen is over.  Microsoft maybe over if they don't market natal right.  They are going to repackage with slightly better hardware with Natal.  They are following suit of nintendo with gamecube/wii.  That doesn't mean new gen.  New Consoles are pretty much over.  We may see 1 more round and thats it.  Upgrades from here on out.  Dsi came out....are we in the next gen of portables.  That transition may take years.  IMO   

30 million seems plausible.

Natal is going to be paired with a new Xbox 360 next year. Ballmer just announced it today in Chicago.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/42919/118/

They don't want to launch a new platform (and the costs associated with it) early. It looks like MS wants to get as much mileage out of the 360 as possible.

@chriscox

I'm hoping it's more than slightly better hardware. It would be great to play Gears 3 with visuals that really decimate those in Gears 1 and Gears 2. Every time Ive played Gears I've thought this is pretty good and the graphics are pretty incredible but they need to be even better where the guns look like guns and Marcus and crew truely look like real people.  And, I hope there' much more than one round of consoles to go unless they really get it right next time.  And to really get it right, it would have to be as good as the holodeck on Star Trek The Next Generation where you can really interact and reach out and feel the texture of Lucy Pinder, for example, 's hair and smell her perfume and really believe you're on  a beach with her.